Red, White and Blue

Happy Fourth of July!!  This is absolutely one of my favorite holidays.  I love fireworks!  Lots of fireworks!  I love parades, cookouts and getting together with friends and family.  I love what the Fourth of July is all about and celebrating the greatest country on earth!!

So, after my successful Summer Wreath project my Mom suggested that I do a new wreath for the Fourth of July.  Well duh, I should have thought of that.  What a great idea!  This would be a perfect opportunity to try out the pool noodle wreaths as found on Pinterest.  Just do a search for "Pool Noodle Wreath" and you will get all kinds of variations and ideas.  So now it is time for a trip to the Dollar Tree.

Here are the supplies for my wreath.  $5.00 at the Dollar Tree bought me 1 pool noodle, 1 white plastic tablecloth, 2 wired star garlands and 1 American flag.  The only other items needed were my scissors, glue gun and duct tape. 

 The first step is to cut the ends of your noodle at opposite angles so they will fit together easily to form your circle.  I did this in the kitchen with a serrated steak knife.  Super easy.

 Next I used my glue gun on the ends to help hold them together long enough to get the duct tape on.  I did find that it would be most helpful to have an extra pair of hands to hold the ends together while you tape.  However, it can be done by yourself if necessary.  It was a little aggravating but mine turned out just fine.

Open the tablecloth and cut it into four long strips using the handy fold lines provided.  

Gather one end of the tablecloth strip and tape it to the wreath.  Begin wrapping.  Overlap your wrapping to give  it some texture and to hide the noodle color.

Keep adding your wrapping.  When you get to the end of a strip then  tape it and  start a new one by taping over the end tape of the previous section.  Make sure your first wrap covers your tape.

End your wrap by taping the last end under the edge of your  beginning and sliding some of the wrap over it.

Base of wreath is done.

Oops, I forgot to take a picture between the base wreath and the finished wreath.  Not much to show though.  I started the wire wrap at the top and used it to also make a loop to hang with.  Wrapping with wire garland makes it easy to secure to your wreath.  Just like a twist tie.  I used two 25 foot garlands.  This allowed me to wrap around the entire wreath twice giving it a fuller look.  I kept about two feet of the second garland loose  to use on the flag stick.  I decided on placement of my flag and slid the stick under the wire till I reached the flag then tucked the end under the wire at the bottom of the wreath.  I then wrapped the garland  up and down the stick and twisted the end to secure it.  The bottom corner of the flag was tucked just under a bit of wire to hold the drape in a graceful fold.

God Bless America!

This entire project took only an hour while I was watching Hawaii 5-0.  Would have gone quicker with an extra set of hands and the TV off.  I think my next wreath project will be for back to school in August.  Time to find another project for now.

Happy 4th everyone,

Trish

Time to change

About a week ago a Facebook friend posted this picture.  It struck a cord with me and I have been thinking on it ever since.  Actually it is another viewpoint of a conversation I have been having with myself for months now.  I want to simplify my life.  I want to be able to spend more time with family and friends.  I want to create things.  I want to do things that make a difference for others.  I want to enjoy life and not just wander through it. 

Other than a means to pay the bills (which is important) my job does not fulfill me anymore.  Working 8-5, Monday thru Friday takes away too much time from things I want to do.  I want to build my own business.  I want to be able to volunteer at my son's school on a regular basis.  I want to be able to do what I want to do.  I want to be able to set my own schedule.  This quote tells me to listen to and trust my inner voice.  And that voice is getting a little more pushy every day.

How do I make that work?  Where do I start?  I have never been a fly by the seat of my pants kind of girl.  I need some instructions.  I need plans.  I need information.  I need structure.  I need to have a good idea of the outcome before I start something.  I need control.  This is the beginning of my journey. 

Stay tuned,
Trish

Who doesn't love a Frosty?

Just a quick note to let you know about this awesome recipe.  I found this on Pinterest, of course.  I just had to try it and it was awesome.  Quick and easy to make and it really did taste almost exactly like a Wendy's Frosty.  All you need are two ingredients and an ice cream maker.  Check it out here:  The Country Cook
I think my family will be making this a lot!  ENJOY

Trish

Sir William, Inventor and Chef

It's about 4PM on Thursday.  I'm at my desk, finishing up for the day and the phone rings.

"Hello, this is Trish."
"Hi Mom, how are you?"
"Hey.  What are you up to?"
"I made a homemade light oven."
"OK... what did you make it out of?"
"I used a shoebox and that Hollywood lamp that gets hot."
"Oh."
"I'm making cookies."
"You know that is probably not a good idea.  The box could catch on fire."
"I know where the fire extinguisher is."
"Oh.  Still not a good idea."
"But I'm making cookies."
"Where did you get cookie dough?"
"I made it."
"With what?"
"I used the chocolate powdered coffee creamer and water."
"Oh."
"You can have one when you get home?"
"Sounds good.  Is your Dad still mowing?"
"Yes."
"Can you wait until I get home?"
"No, they are almost done baking."
"OK.  Be careful and I will see you shortly."


Here is a recreation on Saturday of the process.

The Oven.

Inside.

Preheating.

Cake #1.

Pan Holder.

Oops.  Light burned out and we had to finish in the toaster oven.

Yummy!

A Cookie Makeover.

Almost Done.

Adding Fondant In Progress.

Ta-Da!

Love my William.
Trish

Special thanks to William for providing the captions.

The Amazing World of Pinterest

Pinterest.  Pin interesting stuff.  Electronic bulletin board.  Idea box.  Whatever you want to call it, Pinterest is an amazing site.  It is a place for ideas, projects, visions, helpful hints and so much more.  It is a place where you can feed your obsessions.  Where you can share those obsessions and find others who can obsess with you.  You can get ideas to spark your creativity.  There are thousands of decorating ideas for both inside and outside your home.  You can see the latest fashions.  Learn a new hobby or craft.  Or you can just appreciate the beauty of art, nature and people.  Pick out some new recipes to try for everything from snacks, meals, desserts to cocktails.  Gather a visual bucket list.  Organize your to do list.  Share your ideas and successes with others.  The possibilities are endless!

A while back, my hairstylist and friend, April, told me about Pinterest as we were chatting during a regular appointment.  It sounded intriguing and I made a mental note to check it out.  A few weeks later that note cycled back through my memory and I looked it up.  Find Pinterest Here.  I registered for an account and learned how to navigate through the site.  It was like the BEST Christmas morning EVER!  There was so much to see.  So much I wanted to do.  A few minutes turned into an hour.  My few boards had to be split and multiplied into more defined categories.  I was having a ball!  My creative brain was firing on all cylinders and I was ready to do it all!!

Fast forward to a couple of months later and I am still pinning like mad.  I have my Mom logged in and continue to gather more of my friends into the wonderful world of Pinterest.  I have been ever so helpful in getting wedding ideas and baby ideas for many friends in need.  I have told Prince Charming how much money we can save if I start making cleaning products at home instead of buying them.  And I have begun trying all the new recipes I have been drooling over.  There is a whole beautiful world out there and it's on Pinterest!  Check it out, I promise you won't be disappointed!

Pinspired!

Trish 

Follow me on Pinterest

What's in a name?

Several years ago, my amazing son decided that everyone needed a new name.  A better name.  A funny name.  A cool name.  So, as he saw the family members who most often cross his path, they were re-christened.   His Aunt Elizabeth became known as Octavia.  (By far the coolest of all!)  Then Aunt Mary was Anna and G'ma was now Katherine.  There were others but they have faded away over time, however; these three have remained constant.  If I ask him if he talked to his G'ma he will come back with, "Don't you mean Katherine?"  My Mom (Katherine) has been very cool to go along with this.  She will now even sign cards to him as Katherine and Pop-Pop. 

We have ducks that we keep as pets and William also has two fancy mice that he has raised.  William has always named the animals, sometimes with the help of his Dad.  Over the years we have had ducks named Andy, Hershey, June, Whimpy, John, Olivia, Token, Smoky and Toady.  So far there have only been three mice and they are Cella, Lexi and Pickles.  We have a new flock of baby ducks and as soon as we decide which ones we will keep and they begin to distinguish themselves from each other William will get to name them.  What will he come up with this time?

 "Miss Mother Mom" is one of those names that originated from Sir William.  He delights in making up new names for me just to see if I will answer to it.  I usually do.  They are almost always silly and kind of cute. Sometimes they can be crudely boyish (think "hilarious" bodily functions).  And even sweet and loving.  Miss Mother Mom has always been a favorite of mine as it is so very William in it's design.  Seemed like a great name for my blog.

Trish

Summer Wreath

The house needs a wreath.  I can make a wreath.  I will make a wreath...soon.  Good intentions and all that.  We have lived in this house for almost eight years and I have only ever managed to get the Christmas wreath put up.  I always admire wreaths on other houses year round.  There are those that seem to change their wreath monthly and some that are seasonal.  I just want one for now and will worry about changing it later.  Probably at Christmas.  We'll see.

A while back, my friend Marissa Hite wrote on her blog about making a spring wreath for her home.  You can check out her post here. springtime wreath  She got her inspiration from Pinterest (I love, love, love Pinterest!) and I am taking my inspiration from her.  Now it's Saturday and Prince Charming is working so Sir William was less than thrilled when I said we were going to Hobby Lobby.  "But Mom, you'll be in there for hours."  He's right, I can't just run in and run out of Hobby Lobby.  What I told him was, "It'll be quick, I have a list."  An hour and a half later we left with the items on my list and assorted other items that I found along the way.  Here are the pieces for my wreath.

 Here is Marissa's wreath that was my inspiration.

My first step was to arrange my flowers and secure their position with a zip tie.  I looked at where I wanted them on the wreath and the size of the flowers.  Just play around with it until you like it.

Once I did that I cut the stems down, leaving approximately two to three inches below the zip tie to attach my bow. Next step was to place the flowers on the grapevine wreath.  Once again I used a zip tie for this.  Zip ties are awesome for securing items quickly and easily.  Cut the excess zip tie off and you should not even be able to see it once you are done.

The next step is to make the bow.  I cannot even begin to tell you how to do that.  I just kind of make it up as I go.  First determine how many loops you want then pull your ribbon estimating how much you need for each loop and the tails.  The more loops you have the fuller your bow will be.  Depending on your placement and the look you are going for, you may or may not want tails.  It's all up yo you.  I usually find the center of my ribbon length and pinch.  From the center I add my loops and twist before pinching them to the center point.  Then I pull one of the tails around the center and tie the two in the back.  I then pull, twist and fluff until I like the way it looks.  I have found I can make better looking bows with wired or stiff fabric ribbon.  It can be awkward to work with but it holds the shape much better.  Run a zip tie through the back of your bow and attach it to the stem of your flowers.  Pull tight and trim the excess.  I decided I wanted a little of the ribbon under my initial so I attached an end of ribbon to the back of the wreath, wound it around a few time while twisting and the attached the other end.  Of course, I attached the ends with zip ties.  Here is the wreath with the ribbon added.

  

 Next I painted my "R".  Black for a base coat.  Then I added some purple and pink accents then coated the entire letter with gold shimmer Mod Podge.  This part took the longest because I had to wait for the paint to dry between colors.

After the paint was dry I used my glue gun to attach the letter to my wreath.  No zip tie this time as it could not be hidden.  I believe the overall look turned out good.  The initial may need to be lighter.  I'll think about that and maybe change it later.  The entire project took a little over an hour because of the required drying time.  Here is the finished product.  Prince Charming gets to hang it when he comes home.  :)

Happy Crafting,

Trish

***update***6/22/13***
I did decide to change the color of the R".  I think it shows up much better now.

I used the pink paint with a little iridescent sparkle dust added.

Trish

Let's Get Crafty

A few months ago we moved Sir William's room upstairs.  This was always the plan when we built our house.  Once he was a little more grown and when his older brother had moved out on his own.  The reason for this was to give him a little more independence.  Well, really it was so I could finally have my own little office/craft room!  Woo hoo!!  Now is my chance to have all my "stuff" in one place, where I can get to it easily and where I can work whenever I get the urge.  A little re-arranging of furniture, some new pictures on the walls and I was ready to go.

There is still some work to be done.  You may notice the alphabet border (love this beautiful border) still on the wall.  I plan on painting and taking that down at some point but for now it's so wonderful to have a space to work and I will be sharing some of my projects soon.

Trish